The Other Side of Me
by Shinoda Senshi
Summary: The Fates or inept employees send Chris to the wrong hotel room... *Slash*
1. Part One

Notes: Story not set in present. Just before Taker came back as the American Bad Ass. 

Disclaimer: This is fiction... as in non-real... As in I don't own any of these people.. So don't sue.. I have nothing! 

**The Other Side of Me**

Part One 

  


A bed, Chris thought as he got off the elevator. All I need is a shower and a bed. It had been a long week on the road for him and all he was looking forward to that night was a good night's sleep. Using his keycard to open the door, Jericho dragged himself and his suitcase into the room. Maybe if he had been a little more alert, he would have noticed the other suitcase in the corner. But instead, he just dropped his bag and headed for the bathroom. Looking forward to a long, hot shower, Chris was more than shocked by what he saw when he opened the door. 

Kane, surrounded by steam, dripping with water from head to toe, and, save the towel he held over his crotch, completely naked. Chris wasn't sure where he should look. His gaze traveled up Kane's muscular thighs, stopping momentarily to try to see what was under that towel through the mist, over his flat stomach, broad chest, and strong shoulders. Chris's jaw dropped open when he saw his face. Faint pink lines across pale skin were the only evidence that of that horrible fire that Chris could see. From behind a mane of long brown hair stared two piercing blue eyes. Realizing he was ogling, Chris mumbled a feeble apology and turned to leave, barely noticing the faint gleam of silver in Kane's hand. He grabbed his bag that he'd left at the door and headed for the elevator, prepared to give the receptionist a verbal bashing that would make Steve Austin blush. 

Later that night, after getting another room and taking his own shower, Chris lay in bed unable to sleep. He kept replaying the events in his head and kept coming to the same conclusion. Kane, the big red machine, the monster, actually... wasn't! Sure, there were some scars, but nothing like the grotesque things that Chris had imagined. To be truthful, Chris thought, he was pretty good looking. Nice eyes, a body that went on for days, long hair that Chris could almost imagine running his fingers through... 

"Where the hell did that come from?" he asked aloud. Realizing that no one was going to answer him, he decided to close his eyes and try to get some rest. But his mind kept wandering back to the bathroom scene. "Dammit!" he yelled, tossing the covers back and getting out of bed. He knew that he wasn't going to get any sleep anytime soon. Getting dressed, he decided to go on a walk to clear his head. 

An hour later, Chris came back to the hotel, more confused than when he had left. His whole view of Kane had changed in a matter of hours and that was doing something crazy to him... making him think thoughts that he had never imagined would cross his mind. "Of all the guys in Federation to have a crush on, I pick that one," he said as he got on the elevator. "I'll probably get killed cause I saw his face in the first place... I never did apologize properly..." Chris got off the elevator. "But that's crazy," he continued. "Only a raving lunatic would go back there after he had gotten out safely." Stopping at a door that clearly wasn't his, Chris raised his hand to knock. "So I'm a raving lunatic," he thought. 

He knocked twice and go no answer. He could have gone out, Chris rationalized. But where would he have had to go? He was about to leave when he noticed that the door was ajar. "Might as well get this over with," he thought. Opening the door, he noticed an odd odor in the air. Keeping his mind on the task at hand, he walked into the bedroom area. He stopped in the doorway, seeing Kane lying on the bed. The moonlight shone through the curtain-less window onto his body. Taking note of the way his hair lay spread out on the pillow, Chris thought he looked like a fallen angel. He slept so soundly that Chris was rethinking whether he should wake him. The urge to run while he still had the use of his legs was beginning to take hold of him. But something in his mind told him to stay. 

"Did you know you left your door open?" Chris said. "That's very dangerous." There was no movement from the bed. He must be a heavy sleeper, Chris thought. Feeling bolder, he walked towards to the bed. "Not that anyone would want to run into you," he continued. Still nothing... this was definitely strange. Standing over him, Chris admired how Kane's face looked in the moonlight. It was even better than when he saw him surrounded by mist. Smiling, Chris bent down, placing his hand on the edge of the bed. His smile disappeared as he noticed the bedspread fell wet and sticky. Raising his hand to his face, the metallic smell hit him. Trembling, he reached for the nearby lamp and switched it on. The sight before him brought him to his knees. Blood everywhere. Wrists slashed to the bone. Kane lying limp, unmoving. 

"This isn't right," he whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "This.. can't... be..." He had been alive a few hours ago. He was kicking ass and taking names in the ring. How could this have happened? Placing one hand on the bed to steady himself and the other on Kane's chest, Chris slowly rose. He almost collapsed again when he felt it. A heartbeat. Faint, but still there. Filled with a new strength, he grabbed the phone and, after getting an outside line, called for an ambulance. He gave them the hotel address and room number. "Don't you dare die on me," he said after placing the phone back on its cradle. "Do you hear me?" he yelled. "Or when I die, I will find you and beat the crap outta you!" He smiled weakly. Even in crisis, he could still make jokes. The tears began to fall and he wiped them away, covering his face with blood. 

The ambulance arrived within minutes and carted Kane away on a stretcher. Without being asked, Chris jumped in the back with him. Looking like a mad man, his hair, face, and clothes stained with blood, no one objected. He rode to the hospital in silence, his eyes never leaving the face of his fallen angel. When they arrived, Kane was whisked into the emergency room with Chris only being able to wait outside. He paced up and down the hall. He stood. He sat. He couldn't keep still. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime of minutes, a doctor approached him. Tall, with black hair slightly grayed, a white coat and clipboard, she introduced herself as Dr. Stone. Her eyes were a soft gray and he felt like he could trust her with anything he told her. 

"You're the one that found him?" she asked. 

"Yes," he replied. He couldn't stand the waiting any longer. "Will he be... Is he..." Tears threaten to fall again. 

Dr. Stone placed a soft hand on his shoulder. "We're doing all we can. You're lucky you came by when you did. Any later and he might have..." Her voice trailed off as she saw the look on his face. She made a note to avoid mentioning the possibility if she could. "He's lost a lot of blood," she continued. "He's going to need a transfusion. And it looks like you're a match for his type... perhaps in more ways than one." 

Chris didn't seem to hear the doctor's last comment. All he knew was that he could help. "Take as much as you need," he said. "Whatever it takes to make things better." 


	2. Part Two

**

The Other Side of Me

**

Part Two 

  


"Chris?" 

He turned to see Linda McMahon standing next him. She was dressed in her normal business attire, but to him she was more than CEO of the World Wrestling Federation or Mrs. Vince McMahon. She had been his confidant, his beacon of light in an otherwise dark existence. "Hey," he said, weakly. "You sure got here fast." It was the next morning, less than twelve hours since he had arrived at the hospital. They were standing next to the vending machine in the waiting room. 

"I hopped on one of the company jets as soon as Dr. Stone phoned me." 

"Yeah... I probably should've thought of that... I guess I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time. I guess she called to tell you about Kane's condition." 

"Actually, she and I are old friends. We were actually roommates in college. And yes, I did come to check on Kane... and you, too. She told me that you've barely left his side since the whole thing happened." 

"I should have stopped him... I should have seen it..." He fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. He'd cried so much during the past few hours that his eyes were red and he was beginning to run out of tissues. 

"No one knew," she said, taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "He kept mostly to himself and hardly talked to anyone. That's the way he and everyone else seemed to like it. But I suppose it wasn't too healthy." 

"But I saw him a few hours before he did this. And I think I remember seeing something in his hand... Something silver..." 

"Like a razor blade?" 

"Yeah... How did you know?" 

"Doctor Stone said that that might have been what he used." She saw the sad look in his eyes. "But don't put all this blame on yourself. We all contributed to this. Hardly anyone treats him like a person. The poor boy just snapped." 

"Yeah.. But I'll do whatever it takes to make things right." 

"And how have you been holding up?" 

"Okay.. considering the circumstances. As well as anyone who's been living off coffee and vending machine food for the past 10 hours." 

"And I bet you haven't slept at all." 

He shook his head. 

"Well, that isn't healthy either. The last thing I need is TWO of my best stars in a hospital bed." 

"Does... everyone know why he's here?" He really hoped not. It wouldn't do anything for Kane's condition if everyone thought he was some suicidal nutcase. 

"I told them it was food poisoning. If they find out the truth, it won't be from me." 

Doctor Stone rounded the corner and greeted the two. She and Linda exchanged a hug and she gave Chris a sympathetic look. "He's resting peacefully now. He should be out for a few more hours. I'll send for you the minute he wakes up. Maybe you should try to get some rest in the meantime." 

"Thank you, Doctor," he said. "But I'd rather stick around." 

"Well, there's an extra bed in his room. I suppose we can fix it up for you. That way I can keep an eye on both of you." She smiled. 

"How long will he have to stay in the hospital?" Linda asked. 

"A few days at least for observation. After that, he should get plenty of rest at home." 

"I don't think he really has a home," Chris said. "He basically lives on the road with the rest of us. The only family he has is his brother and his father." 

"No one knows where the Undertaker is right now," Linda added. "And his father certainly isn't fit to take care of him." 

"This does pose a bit of a problem," the doctor sighed. "I doubt the other wrestlers know of his condition right now... And it might not be a good idea to have him around them. They seem to cause him a great deal of pain if he'd go this far." 

"He'll stay with me," Chris said, firmly. "I've got a cabin we can stay in without any intrusions." 

Linda frowned. "I don't know, Chris. Vince might have a bit of a problem with that." 

"Either he lets me off for a few weeks, or I walk. And take my Jerichoholics with me." 

"Hear, hear!" 

The three turned to find Matt and Jeff Hardy standing behind them. Jeff was holding a teddy bear and Matt had a 'Get Well' card. They had obviously been listening in on the conversation. "What are you two doing here?" Chris asked. 

"We heard Kane was sick," Jeff said. "We thought we could cheer him up." 

"That's very nice of you boys," Linda said, smiling. 

"But this is sounds more serious than food poisoning?" Matt said. "What's going on?" 

Feeling that the two could be trusted to keep a secret, Chris relayed the whole story to them. Afterwards, Jeff was frowning and clutching the bear. Matt looked like he could punch his fist through a brick wall. "I bet it's that damn D-Generation X!" the elder Hardy said, fuming. "They love screwing with people." 

"Don't worry," Jeff said. "Your secret's safe with us. We wouldn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing the truth." 

"Thanks, guys. I'm gonna go call Vince." Chris pulled out his cell phone and walked away. 

"Give em hell, Lionheart!" Matt yelled. 

"We're with ya, Chris!" Jeff called. "All the way!" 


	3. Part Three

**The Other Side of Me**

Part Three 

  


After Chris had gone off to make his phone call, a nurse came up to Doctor Stone and, after whispering something in her ear, left. The doctor turned to the others. "It looks like he's awake. I guess it takes alot to keep that big man down." 

"Can he have any visitors?" Jeff asked. "We'd like to give him his presents now." 

"That sounds okay... But maybe you should let Linda talk to him first. You two can wait outside the door and she'll get you when she's finished." 

"I'll stay here incase Chris comes back before the rest of you," Matt said, handing Jeff the card. 

The other two followed her to Kane's hospital room. She and Linda entered first. Kane was lying in the bed and, other than having an IV or two in his arm, he seemed rather comfortable. "I know this is a stupid question," the doctor started, "but how are you feeling?" 

"Like I was on the receiving end of a chokeslam... But other than that, I'm fine." He cracked a smile. 

"Are you smiling because I'm a nice old lady or because you're happy to be alive?" She checked his chart and ran a few tests. 

"You're not old," Linda reprimanded. "We're the same age and I am not old." After Doctor Stone left, she went to Kane's side. "Anything you wanna talk about?" 

"Yes," he said, matter-of-factly. "Do angels have a sense of humor?" 

She wasn't sure where this was going and she shrugged her shoulders. "Why do you ask?" 

"Because, as I was slipping in and out of consciousness, I could swear I saw an angel! He had long, flowing blond hair and the most amazing blue eyes I'd ever seen. And he said, 'I'm with you now... I won't let you be alone anymore... And if you leave, you will be in SO much trouble!' I actually thought I was in heaven. Not that a guy like me could get in there anyway." 

"I don't know about that... You're a real sweet guy. You just have one flaw." 

"Yeah, I know..." 

"Your horrible choice in friends! But, I think I can help you with that." 

Right on cue, Jeff walked in carrying the presents. "Hi! We heard you were in here. Matt is waiting outside. We got you presents! I hope you like teddy bears. It was all they had in the gift shop. You feelin any better? Want me to fluff your pillow or something? Hey, you're a pretty good lookin dude! Maybe you should ditch the mask for good. Or maybe keep it for in the ring to add to that whole mysterious look. Would you have preferred flowers? Maybe I should have brought flowers." 

Linda laughed. "Slow down, Jeff. Give the man time to process everything." 

"Sorry... I had two bags of Skittles on the ride over here." 

After finally digesting everything that the younger Hardy had just said, Kane realized that he wasn't wearing his mask. It was probably still in his hotel room. And then he remembered that Jeff had called him a 'good lookin dude' and a blush crept up along his cheeks. "Thanks, Jeff," he said, finally. 

Thinking he was referring to the presents, Jeff beamed with pride. "No problem. I picked the bear out, yanno. Well, I think I'll get some coffee." He set the gifts down on the windowsill and left. 

"Like he needs caffeine," Kane said. "He's a nice guy... but any more energy and he's gonna be in orbit." He turned to Linda. "So... What now?" 

"You'll be here for a few days for observation. And we're straightening out your living arrangements right now." 

"Living arrangements?" 

"The doctor wants you to get plenty of bed rest. And we can't very well have you traveling on the road and staying in hotels. So we've made plans for you to stay with someone until you return." 

His eyes narrowed. "And who am I staying with?" 

Chris barged into the room. "Matt told me he was awake." He noticed Kane looking at him. "Umm... Hello..." 

"You'll be staying with Chris for the next few weeks," Linda said. 

"You're kidding... right?" Kane asked, shocked. 

"No... Vince gave Chris a couple weeks off. And he's going to look after you in the meantime." 

"I see... Vince roped him into this... Probably threatened to fire him... Not that he would. He knows how valuable Chris is." 

"You're valuable, too," Chris whispered, his eyes on the floor. 

"Huh?" If he didn't know better, he'd think that Chris had just paid him a compliment. That would be two in one day. And not a hint of sarcasm in either one of them. It must have been an all-time record. 

"Why don't we let you get some rest," Linda said, patting Kane's arm. "Who knows when those nurses will be back to poke you somemore." She led Chris out of the room and into the hallway. She was going to follow him when Kane asked her to stay. "Is everything alright?", she asked him. 

"He hates me," he said. 

"What makes you say that?" 

"You saw the way he acted! He can't stand the sight of me... He wouldn't even look at me." 

"I'm sure he has his reasons..." 

"I'm just a monster to him." 

"I happen to know for a fact that that isn't true. Jeff said you were good looking and I agree with him. And this isn't the first time he's seen your face. Wasn't there an incident in the hotel? I bet he didn't go running and screaming into the hallway." 

"Well.. no... but.." 

"No more 'buts'. You just relax. You and Chris are going to have a wonderful time together. You'll be the best of friends before you know it." 

"Linda?" he asked, hesitantly. "Do you think that maybe.. after some time... Chris and I... we could be more than friends?" 

"You just have to let things happen on their own." She squeezed his hand and then left the room. She found Chris sitting in the waiting room, obviously in a funk. "And what's wrong with you?" 

"He hates me..." 

"He's mad at the whole world right now. What he needs now are friends. People who don't want to exploit him for their own benefits. I'm sure the Hardy's will be of great help. And I'll talk some sense into that brother of his... wherever he may be. And you need to play your part." 

"What would that be?" he asked, angrily. "A wet nurse? He's not a child, despite what some people think." 

"Then don't treat him like one! And don't let him act like one. If he can do things for himself, then let him do it." 

Chris sighed. "I know, I know..." 

"And just give him time... Once he gets to know you, I'm sure you two will become close. I know how much you care for him." 

"How did.. you know..?" he stuttered. 

"The way you look at him. You hardly ever left his side. And you gave your blood when he needed it. It's obvious you're in love." 

"Do you think.. that he might.. eventually.. feel the same way?" 

"Just let things happen," she said, softly. She saw the doubt in his eyes. "And, if he does, he won't care about.. your condition." 

Chris brightened. "You really think so? Well, I'm gonna head back to the hotel to take a shower and get everything together." He happily walked out of the hospital. 

"I'll get those two together somehow... They're an accident that needs to happen!" 


End file.
